Battling the bulge often means fighting incessant hunger — or temptation. And this is especially true over the holidays, when wills of steel seem to melt like whipped cream on hot apple pie. But experts offer a few tips to help you to a win-win triumph over your alter-ego:

• Fill up with a first course of a bowl of hot, broth-based soup. It satisfies and will cut the edge on hunger without loading up on calories.
• Cut food into small bites and concentrate on the taste of each bite of what you are eating. Don’t put another bite into your mouth until you have finished the previous mouthful.
• Be sure to physically distance yourself from the munchies bowl. In other words, don’t mindlessly hover there, grabbing handfuls of nuts and chips while chatting.
• On the go? Take baggies of cut apples, peeled baby carrots, dried apple chips, dried cranberries and other sweet or savory high fiber snacks with you and pop those when you get a craving.
• Be sure to eat a snack or a meal before you head for the supermarket.
• Weigh yourself daily and plan or alter your food intake and daily exercise based on what the scale tells you.
• Avoid fast food places that use a lot of red in their color scheme. This may sound nutty, but believe it or not, seeing red stimulates the appetite.